The Pros and Cons of Having Your Wedding Near (Or On) a Holiday

With summer being a time of sunshine and time off for many people, it’s typically a popular time of year for couples to tie the knot (depending on where you’re getting married of course) ☀️💍

When deciding on a date, many couples not only consider the time of year, but they also consider potential holiday weekends to have their big day!

Summer naturally presents many opportunities for just that with Memorial Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, July 4th and Labor Day falling in just summer alone.

That’s not even including all of the other big holidays that fall in the other seasons. 

In general, most seasons make for great weddings and it really just comes down to what month and what vibe you want for your big day. 

But when it comes to planning your wedding near (or on) a holiday, there are a few other factors to consider before locking in your date!

If you’re considering a wedding date that falls on a holiday weekend – or on a holiday itself – make sure you weigh the pros and cons before submitting your deposit to avoid any regrets!

Pros of Having Your Wedding Near or On a Holiday 

• People are already in a celebration mode

When it comes to your wedding, you want people to be as excited as you are for the big day! 

There’s nothing worse than guests feeling like attending your wedding is just something they have to mark off their calendar. 

You want them to be all in and that is one huge pro of having your wedding near or on a holiday. Many people are off work for a few extra days and it feels like a vacation for them, so naturally their energy and excitement is going to be much higher!

This can play in your favor for your wedding day and you can trust that the majority of your guests won’t be concerned with staying up too late or having to return to work the next day. 

Instead, they’ll be fully present and ready to celebrate! 🎉

• Schedules are typically more flexible

As mentioned, many people have a few extra days off work near holidays which means their schedules will likely be much more flexible compared to that of a regular weekend. 

This means that time is on your side and, from experience, I know that extra time is music to a bride's ears!

This flexibility in schedules gives your guests extra time to travel to your wedding location and could even double as a vacation for them.

If you want to have your wedding on or near a holiday, you could potentially plan a whole weekend of events for your guests to partake in so that the celebration becomes a weekend of festivities versus one single day. 

Some ideas for this include: spa day for the women, golf day for the men, day after brunch, group beach day (if applicable), group fitness class, pool party (if applicable), bar crawl, winery tour, pedal bike tour or a group movie night. 

• More venue availability

Depending on the season and the location, a holiday weekend could actually mean that you have MORE venue availability. 

Between many couples not wanting a holiday weekend and many venues experiencing “shoulder season” (the time period between the peak and off season) during holidays, you may find that your dream venue is available near or on a holiday when otherwise they would be completely booked up.

Generally speaking, most venues fill up their Friday and Saturdays quickly, but Sundays are often left open. Many times, couples aren’t open to a Sunday wedding because they know that many people have to work the next day and don’t want to risk a low guest count.

But since time is on your side during holidays and many people have extra days off, you have more flexibility on the days that you can choose, which ultimately means you could even score some discounts with your dream venue.

When it comes to venue selection for a holiday wedding, it’s actually a win/win situation!

• Endless theme ideas

Lastly, when you’re planning a wedding on or near a holiday, you suddenly have endless theme options! 

While you definitely don’t have to align your wedding with the holiday it falls near, many couples WANT to do this so that their guests feel like they’re celebrating the holiday at hand along with their big day.

It also gives you, as the couple, a great memory and an extra reason to celebrate every single year.

One example that comes to mind for this is July 4th. If you're getting married near Independence Day, you could incorporate pops of red, white and blue with your decor and desserts and make fireworks and sparklers a key part of your celebration! 🇺🇸🎇

Cons of Having Your Wedding Near or On a Holiday

With any pro comes a con, and having your wedding near or on a holiday is no different. 

Before you lock in your holiday wedding date, make sure you consider these cons to ensure that you’re confident in your decision!

• More guest declines

Holidays are naturally a time where many people take family vacations or have gatherings of their own that are pre-planned for months. 

Because of this, if you have a large invite list, you could possibly expect more guest declines, leaving you with fewer people in attendance than you originally desired.

Some couples are totally fine with this as long as their family and close friends can attend, so if that’s you this might not be something you need to worry about!

But if you anticipate a large portion of your invite list having to decline, you may want to reconsider.

• Higher travel costs

As mentioned, holidays are traditionally a time where many people are already vacationing and traveling. With this, travel costs including airfare, lodging and even food or entertainment, tend to see an uptick in cost.

This is important to consider not only for yourself if you’ll be traveling to your wedding destination, but also for your guests. 

Weddings are typically a very fun time for your guests, but if they’ll have to fork over a ton of money to get there, they may decline the invite. 

If you anticipate high travel costs, you could potentially work something into your budget to cover a portion of costs for your family and wedding party if you wish. 

Otherwise, you may want to consider the reality of what the cost will be for people and make sure that it’s a reasonable thing to ask people to do!

• Less accommodation availability 

With an uptick in travel and vacations during holiday seasons, not only can you expect higher costs, you could potentially run into low availability, especially at hotels and other accommodations.

Even if you secure your venue, you might run into issues with lodging for your guests, wedding party, family and even yourself. 

This is something you definitely want to check into beforehand so that you aren’t left with the stress of having to manage this after you secure your wedding date.

• Fewer vendor options

Lastly, you’ll want to check with potential wedding vendors to ensure they will have availability during the holiday seasons. 

Many vendors may be booked up with other events due to the holidays and if that’s the case, you could be left with less than desirable options and have to settle – and that’s the last thing I want for you!

Need Help Planning Your Holiday Wedding?

Overall, I think that holiday weddings can be a great thing, but they can also present unwanted challenges if you aren’t careful.

To avoid any added stress, make sure you weigh the pros and cons and ensure that a holiday wedding is a good fit for you before declaring your day!

If you go through this list and want to move forward with a holiday wedding, I’d love nothing more than to help you map out exactly what your weekend will look like. 🤍

CLICK HERE for a list of ways we can work together!